“You are not alone. Being a caregiver can feel like one of the loneliest roles in the world, but I assure you that you are not alone. Things will get better.” Senator Elizabeth Dole
Senator Elizabeth Dole is a world changer, a woman on a mission and selfless public servant who has dedicated her life and career to public safety and humanitarian issues. Her energy and passion for serving those most ignored and continually improving the world around her is evident in her impressive charitable record and many accolades. Yet Senator Dole does not rest on her honors; she continues moving forward, inspiring others, enacting change and helping to build support systems where none existed before.
Originally from Salisbury, North Carolina, she received her undergraduate degree from Duke and both a Law Degree and Masters in Teaching from Harvard University. She served as the Deputy to the Special Assistant for Consumer Affairs during the Nixon Administration, for which she was awarded the Humanitarian Award from the National Commission Against Drunk Driving and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
She has also served on the Federal Trade Commission and spent two years as Assistant to President Reagan for Public Liaison. In 1983, she became the first woman to be appointed U.S. Secretary of Transportation and later served as U.S. Secretary of Labor where she developed initiatives to help at-risk youth. And in 2002, Senator Dole became the first woman to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate.
Senator Elizabeth Dole served as the President of the American Red Cross for eight years. She was only the second woman to hold that post since the organization was founded by Clara Barton in 1881.
And yet it was a deeply personal experience that brought our nation’s caregivers to her attention, an experience that ultimately lead her to found Caring for Military Families: The Elizabeth Dole Foundation, “to raise awareness and support for the 5.5 million young spouses, mothers, fathers and other loved ones caring for our nation’s wounded warriors at home.”
